News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-04-07

The dresses at one of the fashion
able modiste's in Brooklyn n. Y, were
weighed the other day in order to de-
termine the average weight of wo-
mans gown. Jet trimmed reception
dresses weighed from "a to 40 pounds
and plain walking dresses from II to
10. Nothing was found that weighed
less than 10 pounds.
The banana crop promises to be a
flourishing California industry. A
lady who lived tor many years in the
Hawaiian Islands noticed that the eli
mate in California was similar to that
of the islands and sent for banana
plants for an experiment. The result
has been wholly successful and lus-
cious crop is expected.
Four hundred of the masons, brick
layers, carpenters, plumbers and other
laborers employed in the erection of
the extensive addition to the Equitable
Building, New York went on a strike
last week. The strike was caused by
the employment oftwo non-union men
to put up electric wires. Walking
delegates are going through the build
ing ordering the rest to quit work.
A man in Kansas City, Mo-, bought
piece of land for $4,000, paying a
silver dollar as earnest money and
giving his notes for three, six and
nine months for the balance. Before
the first note became due he had sold
more than enough of the land TO take
up all the notes. Real estate kept on
advancing and he has already realized
more than 100000 from the sale
Of lots, while half Of the original pur-
chase is still his.
1t is said that when Fred Douglas
was Marshal of the District of Colum-
bia it was customary to summon a
great number of witnesses in cases
before the grand jury, no matter how
trivial the case. This was particular
ly so when the party involved was a
colored man. The per diem being
S1.25, the negroes were naturally
anxious to be summoned, and so
many of them succeeded in a case
where a stolen goose was the subject
of controversy that the witness fees
amounted to S160.
The body of q negro drowned in
the river at Abbeville, Ca, a few
days ago was recovered in a novel
manner. An old darkey took bun
die of fodder and put it in the river
where the negro first sunk, when it
floated down about so yards and sud-
denly stopped and commenced to
whirI slowly round and round. Here
the old negro dived down and secured
the body. He claims to have recov-
cred four or five other lost bodies by
this means, and declares it to be an
infallble guide.
A dispatch from Terre Haute, Ind,
March so, says: The Vandalia train,
to which Mr.. Blaine's private car was
attached, arrived here at S.35 p. m.
No effort had been made to give Mr..
Blaine a reception, yet there were four
or five hundred people at the depot.
The crowd surrounded Mr.. Blaine's
carriage and began to call "Blaine,
Blaine" Mr.. Blaine appeared at the
rear end of the car and was received
with cheers. He said, "Gentlemen,-l
1t gives me pleasure to see you all
here. / am on an entirely private
journey, and I simply desire to ex-
press my thanks for the courtesy of
this CALL" Afterward Mr.. Blaine
stepped from the car and was immedi-
ately surrounded and was compelled,
on account of the rush, to climb on
the steps again. The train remained
at the depot fifteen minutes, during
which time Mr.. Blaine was occupied
in shaking hands.